GM Notebook - June 1, 2028

Man, interleague came early this year... at least we fought back into the playoff race. 18-8 May, now 31-26 and only 2.5 back of Rakuten for the PL lead. Problem is, we're in a tie for 3rd with SoftBank, and Kirin is a half-game ahead of us. Yes, the other two expansion teams are finally good, with the Ehime Honda Comets only a game off the playoff pace in the CL.

Seiya Suzuki's PCL tore, he's gone for the season. Meanwhile, Seiya Yamazaki's got an .859 OPS for the Carp. So that trade backfired on me. Our offense has stuttered, but our defense is tops in the league. Benching Genda, putting Miyake at second, and starting Sakata at short gives us maybe the best up-the-middle defense ever. Pitching coming around has made the difference - adding Kohei Morihara in a trade for Jordan Garza gave us a proper shutdown closer until Danny Bergeron matures. Speaking of which, he's won back-to-back Rookie of the Month awards. 5-0 to start his career with 7 saves and a 2.37 ERA over 30 1/3 IP. 43 Ks too.

Last transaction of note was to purchase Matthew Thompson, a right-handed starter, from the Sonoma Stompers. He'll fight for a rotation spot, and he's got one at least until Yuto Kanakubo returns from injury.

GM Notebook - July 1, 2028

I hate interleague. We went 9-14 in June and now sit 5th in the PL at 40-40. Injuries to our pitchers have strained my depth, and I had to go out and buy another starter from the independent leagues after Matthew Thompson disappointed. We're still within 2.5 games of both Kirin and Orix, SoftBank is tied with us, and Nippon-Ham is half a game back. Gonna be a slog to the finish.

Yomiuri and DeNA tied for the interleague title this year at 15-9. Good for them.

All-Stars
* Leftie Tetsuya Yoshimoto has really come into his own this season; in spite of a 2-5 record, he has a 2.79 ERA over 90 1/3 IP, with a 10.9 K/9 and 2.5 WAR to date
* Right-hander Danny Bergeron has been an exciting prospect in the Arrows bullpen, with a 7-1 record, 7 saves, and a 2.48 ERA over 54 1/3 IP.
* Third baseman Takahiko Arakawa is avoiding a sophomore slump, with a .264/.322/.488 slash line, 18 HRs and 12 SB, good for 2.6 WAR
* Left fielder Malik Collymore earns his first all-star nod for his sound work in left field, slashing .264/.384/.407 for 2.3 WAR
* Center fielder Shizue Uchino continues to be a threat at the plate and on the bases, with 19 HRs and 26 SB to date, earning 2.6 WAR

Future Stars
* Leftie starter Kikuo Aoki made the jump to AA this year, and has a 4-2 record with a 4.02 ERA and 9.6 K/9 for Shinano
* DH Kikuo Kawamoto has set the ni-gun on fire this year, with a ridiculous .369/.514/.845 slash line in 233 at-bats. He has 27 HRs and 3.2 WAR, and likely getting a ticket to AAA after the AA season finishes.
* 2B Taisei Murakami is struggling a bit at the AAA level, but his slick fielding earns him a spot
* RF Reizo Nishimoto earned a not for his .238/.330/.397 slash line as a 19-year-old. No idea otherwise.

GM Notebook - August 1, 2028

I think going out and getting 1B Hisanori Yasuda from the Chiba Lotte Marines (90% retained, all it took was that Matthew Thompson kid) at the trade deadline sends a message to my squad that we are still very much going for it.

12-7 in July, and now sitting 3rd again. Half a game back of Orix for 2nd, but I've got SoftBank, Nippon-Ham, and Kirin all half a game or a game behind me. Only two teams are really out of it, Lotte and Seibu.

Injuries keep nibbling on our depth - Collymore's injured, Kono's gone for the season, and Kanakubo's still rehabbing his injury in AA. In the meantime, I've called up some help from the young guns - our first round pick last year Yoshimitsu Ota has a 2.25 ERA in 12 IP, and Isamu Hiratsuka's holding down a job as a leftie specialist. We'll have to move someone out of the rotation when Kanakubo does return; I'm not in a rush.

GM Notebook - September 1, 2028

This playoff race is going to come right down to the wire, I can tell. Kirin, Orix, and we are tied for second place, 4 games back of Rakuten. Okinawa and we do have two games in hand over Orix, so it's going to be close. We went 14-12 in August, the Buffaloes went 14-13, and the Spirit went 15-11. At least the Fighters and Hawks have played themselves out of contention.

Danny Bergeron has taken over the closer role from Morihara and done well with it. Kanakubo has returned from injury and handled himself well in our bullpen. Yasuda is only batting .195, but his OBP is .387. And of his 16 hits, 4 were HR and 7 were doubles - guy just needs to swing the bat more!

Atsunori Nishiyama played himself out of an arbitration award and the lineup - Kenjyu Kuwahara has taken over the DH role and done well. Collymore's on rehab and should be rejoining the squad soon.

The Quiver - September 23, 2028
Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source!

OKAY. WOW. Anyone else feeling like they could run through a wall right now?
The Shizuoka Arrows came a game short of the PL pennant with an absolutely ridiculous 16-2 September, with a 12-game win streak powering most of that drive. As a result, their 82-61 record is good for second place and hosting the Orix Buffaloes in the Climax Series First Stage! The Arrows went 11-6 against the Buffaloes this season.

Collymore's back, Uchino came a homer short of a 35-35 season (not for lack of trying!) and led the PL in RBI with over 100, and Kuwahara continues to be hot since taking over the DH role. Ethan Smith has earned a spot in next year's rotation with his 7-2 record, Danny Bergergon has reeled off 10 saves in the month (also won Pitcher of the Month and Rookie of the Month), and Yoshimitsu Ota has no business being that good so young.

See you in the parapets for the best-of-three series!

Game Summaries

Game 1: Orix 1, Shizuoka 0
Ryo Nishimura's two-out solo home run in the first off Shizuoka starter Daichi Ishii stood up for the whole game, as the Arrows offense fizzled against Buffaloes starter Hiroto Suzuki, reliever Andrew Karp, and closer Kota Futaki. Shizuoka left 11 men on base in a maddening effort.

Game 2: Orix 3, Shizuoka 2
An error by Arrows first baseman Hisanori Yasuda proved costly, allowing a pair of runs to score against starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, which proved the difference in this affair. Buffaloes first baseman Hotaka Yamakawa's 2-out solo shot in the 6th was the game-winning hit. The Arrows offense struggled again this game, with 6 men left on base.

I guess that's our brick wall.

The Yomiuri Giants would win their second Japan Series in a row, this time over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 6. 39-year-old Hayato Sakamoto won JS MVP with three home runs (all in Game 3) and a .300/.481/.800 slash line over the series.

2028 Season in Review

We took a few steps back from last year - I'm positive if Seiya Suzuki is healthy, we win the pennant and won't go out meekly in the First Stage.
There's a youth movement underway with Ota making the major league club right away, and Hiratsuka doing well in a part-season. With Kikuo Kawamoto looking like a fine DH, we could be in VERY good shape next season.
One thing - Uchino's defense at CF is starting to slide; might be time to invest in a new defender and shift Shizue to RF.

2028-29 Offseason Updates

Before Free Agents File
* Shizuoka's bench coach, Brian Schneider, has left the organization at the conclusion of his contract. Toshimasa Konta, who has spent four seasons as bench coach in the PL and five as a hitting coach in the industrial leagues, joins the squad.
* 2B Sosuke Genda's option is declined.
* RP Kohei Morihara's option is executed.
* The following players have been non-tendered and will become free agents:

LHP John Means, RHP Ryu Ota, IF Ryuhei Obata, LF Ryuuichi Kono

* The below players will become free agents:

1B Keita Nakagawa, RHP Yugo Umeno, C Shosei Nakamura, 2B Sosuke Genda, 1B Hisanori Yasuda

* The Ehime Honda Comets have acquired 3B Hiroshi Morita and LF Saisaku Ishikawa from the Shizuoka Arrows, yielding SS Meiji Onishi.
* The Japan Series champion Yomiuri Giants have acquired 1B Atsunori Nishiyama and LHP Ryusei Oe from the Shizuoka Arrows in exchange for 1B Ichizo Nishio.
* Arrows 3B Takahiko Arakawa has been named captain for the upcoming season

Awards Season
* First baseman Hisanori Yasuda and second baseman Toyoharu Miyake both won Mitsui Golden Gloves for their efforts
* Closer Danny Bergeron won PL Rookie fo the Year with 15 of 16 first place votes. 80 1/3 IP, 91 Ks, 2.24 ERA, 8-1 record and 23 saves. He's a BOSS.
* Three Arrows earned Eiji Sawamura votes - RHP Ethan Smith (2nd), LHP Tetsuya Yoshimoto (3rd), RHP Michito Nakayama (8th)
* Shizuoka CF Shizue Uchino finished 6th in MVP voting, with Ethan Smith, Tetsuya Yoshimoto, and 3B Takahiko Arakawa also netting votes

First-Year Draft
1. Yoshihide Yonamine, right-handed starter out of Kindai Univ with a good four-pitch mix. He'll be a good component if he develops on time.
2. Yasunaga Suzuki, the best closer in the draft. His curveball and stuff are already major-league grade, and he'll be on a fast track to the majors.
3. Masanori Suzuki, a much-needed center field prospect
4. Jiro Kawasaki, middle-infielder with good speed
5. Masaru Okada, lanky leftie reliever with a high ceiling and high floor. Taking a flier on him.
6. Tetsuo Numata, switch-hitting third baseman who may end up the college route instead. (signed him anyway)
7. Tomehiro Moriguchi, second baseman who could learn 3B. Like the makeup of his bat.
8. Shigeya Nonaka, miscast as an RF, likely plays better as an CF. Speedster. Problem is he wants to go to college, and I'm gonna let him.
9. Shijo Inouye, the usual high-ability catcher
10. Daisuke Kato, best fastball left in the draft. Leftie reliever already throwing 92-94.

Winter Meetings & Adjacent
* The Shizuoka Arrows signed catcher Yasutoki Kato to a minor league deal with a 600K major league option. Kato had a tough year for Hanshin last season (-1.2 WAR), but the previous two had been 1.4+ WAR seasons. The expectation is that he will challenge incumbent Takateru Toyoda for the starting role.
* The Chiba Lotte Marines and Shizuoka Arrows swapped minor leaguers, with the Arrows getting LHP Yonathan Ramirez and CF Shinrikiyaru Mishima.
* The Arrows and Giants made another trade, this time sending catcher Norio Yoshioka for Gold Glove left fielder Shuji Shibata.
* 2B Sosuke Genda returns to the Arrows on a minor league deal.

2029 Opening Day Roster

It's the Arrows' 8th year of operation, and with a three-season playoff streak going, expectations are high. A few new faces thanks to internal development, including some midyear call-ups getting a full season. Will be a tough year with SoftBank opening the wallet and Kirin nabbing top FA Takaya Ishikawa just before spring training.

Pitchers
Rotation: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP Ethan Smith, LHP Tetsuya Yoshimoto, RHP Daichi Ishii, LHP Kikuo Aoki*, RHP Michito Nakayama
Bullpen: RHP Alan Busenitz, RHP Kohei Morihara, LHP Yoshimitsu Ota, RHP Katsumi Ikeda, RHP Mitsukuni Matsuda, LHP Isamu Hiratsuka
Closer: RHP Danny Bergeron

Batters
Catcher: Yasutoki Kato*, Takateru Toyoda
First Base: Hirotaka Hayashi, Kikuo Kawamoto* (DH)
Second Base: Toyoharu Miyake, Taisei Murakami*
Third Base: Takahiko Arakawa, Jo Endo
Shortshop: Meiji Onishi*, Kohsuke Sakata
Left Field: Malik Collymore, Shuji Shibata*
Center Field: Shizue Uchino, Yuki Okabayashi*
Right Field: Seiya Suzuki, Kenjyu Kuwahara

The Shizuoka Arrows open their season at home against the Chiba Lotte Marines. See you all at the ballpark!

Shizuoka Volley - May 1, 2028
Arrows updates, quick and on target!

* 15-11 to start the season so far. 2 games back of Rakuten for the PL lead, 1.5 back of Orix and SoftBank for second. Also 3.5 ahead of Kirin in 5th.
* Congrats to DH Kikuo Kawamoto for winning Rookie of the Month! Batting .290 with 8 HRs and 17 RBIs would do it.
* What's eating our batters? Arakawa's batting .119 (with 4 HRs to be fair), Suzuki's at .200, and Collymore's at .175. Hopefully everyone gets on the right page soon!
* And we need to recognize Toyoda for his home run hat-trick at MetLife Dome last month - Kato, take notes!

The Quiver - June 1, 2029
Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source

The team's heating up! A 20-6 June has the Arrows half a game ahead of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks for the PL pennant, and they're only that close because they're on a 14-game win streak.

Problem - we've got interleague coming up soon. That rarely goes well for our boys. Shizuoka will host Komatsu, Hanshin, DeNA, and Yomiuri, and the Arrows will visit Honda, Hiroshima, Chunichi (in the Chubu Derby), and Yakult.

Congrats to RHP Ethan Smith for winning PL Pitcher of the Month in May! Going 5-0 with a 1.23 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and .189 oAVG will do it. If Danny Bergeron wasn't doing so well too, we'd say it's the best foreign pitcher we've had since Greene's early years.

It's great to see Arakawa get back to his usual self, and now that he's got a supporting cast including Hayashi and Onishi, he's got more people to drive in.

The Quiver - July 2, 2029
Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source!

This may be the best the Arrows have done in interleague play ever. In June, the squad went 16-10, and 14-10 in interleague with the loss to the Swallows yesterday. The Ehime Honda Comets won their first interleague title with a 17-7 record, getting them into the CL playoff picture. The Hiroshima Carp, on the other hand, went 5-17. Woof.

And because the Hawks' win streak ended at 17, we've gained a game on them in the PL pennant chase! Orix sits 6 behind us, and Seibu 9.5 back, so I think we're in good shape to keep our postseason streak alive.

Danny Bergeron won Pitcher of the Month in June, with an 0.87 ERA over 10 1/3 IP, striking out 16. He's been a dominant force since moving to the closer role. And continuing our pitching good news, Kikuo Aoki won Rookie of the Month with his 2-0 record and 1.88 ERA over 5 starts in June. He has been worth the wait, and truly the #1 prospect in baseball.

Malik Collymore has had a number of bad months, and lost his playing time to Soichi Shiotani in left. It looks like manager Andre Ethier has swapped Miyake and Onishi's places on the diamond for now, we'll see if that pans out. And Michito Nakayama has been demoted after three atrocious starts, with Yuto Kanakubo setting up and back into the 6-spot for the rotation.

Do you think the Arrows will be movers and shakers at the deadline? It's hard to tell!

All-Stars
* LHP Kikuo Aoki graduated from future star to real start this year, with a 5-1 record, 2.39 ERA, 10.5 K/9, and 2.0 WAR over 75 1/3 IP
* RHP Ethan Smith is the de facto ace of Shizuoka, with a 10-3 record, 2.41 ERA, and 1.07 WHIP over 93 1/3 IP, equivalent to 2.8 WAR
* RHP Danny Bergeron gets the nod for his 4-0 record and 24 saves in 25 opportunities, a microscopic 1.14 ERA, and 11.3 K/9 in 39 2/3 IP, good for a 2.3 WAR
* Rookie DH Kikuo Kawamoto has torn the cover off the ball, slugging 19 HRs with a 165 wRC+ and .288/.358/.637 slash line, good for 1.9 WAR
* CF/RF Shizue Uchino remains a threat with both his bat and feet, with 24 HR and 22 SB already on the season, with a slash line of .252/.331/.525 for 2.5 WAR.

Future Stars
* Last year's first-round selection, RHP Yoshihide Yonamine has a 5-3 record and 4.19 ERA in the notoriously power-heavy AA league. It's good for 2.7 WAR.
* RF Reizo Nishimoto has 16 HR already, with a slash line of .336/.432/.577.

BLOCKBUSTER TRADE BEFORE DEADLINE - INOUE HEADS TO SHIZUOKA

NISHINOMIYA - July 30, 2029

It was only a matter of time before Hanshin left fielder Kota Inoue would leave the team because of his free agent demands. The 27-year-old hit 49 home runs last season, and is closing in on 300 for his career already. The destination, however, was unexpected - the Shizuoka Arrows. Arrows GM tehsuigi had been coveting Inoue for years, and leapt at the chance to bring him aboard.

Joining Inoue in the trade to the Arrows is 35-year-old RHP Taiki Ono, who had a previous successful stint with the team. Ono went to Kirin as a free agent, then was traded with cash to Hanshin in the offseason for 3B Fumio Hata. Hanshin will retain small portions of each of Ono and Inoue's remaining contract years.

Heading back to Hanshin is no small haul: first, 27-year-old RHP Michito Nakayama had three seasons of 2+ WAR, but struggled heavily this season. 26-year-old middle infielder Toyoharu Miyake is a Gold Glove at second base, and three seasons removed from a 3.3 WAR season, but his batting average had slipped in each of the last three. Finally, 27-year-old corner outfielder Kensaku Fujimoto had been blocked at the major league level by other team members, and now gets a chance to start.

GM Notebook - August 1, 2029

6-11 in July...not good that half of my team is in a slump. Looking at you, Hayashi and Kawamoto! Still, that big trade helped resolve the situation in left field, and let me send Malik Collymore to Seibu for a minor leaguer outfielder to recoup some budget. If Kota performs like he has over the last few seasons, the next two months are gonna be FUN. Anything to get some cushion between us and SoftBank (and Orix and Seibu are nibbling on our heels too!)

Once Daichi Ishii returns from injury, we can figure out what to do with Yuto Kanakubo, if he stays or if Taiki Ono starts.

With Alan Busenitz about to retire, Isamu Hiratsuka looks ready to get promoted and help with next season. No need to rush him to the majors when our bullpen ERA is already best in the league.

GM Notebook - September 1, 2029

Ishii comes back, Aoki goes out...great. Still, we went 15-12 in August to right the ship.
We're 1.5 ahead of SoftBank and 3.5 ahead of Orix. Most importantly, 9 ahead of Seibu, so a playoff spot is all but certain.

I'm a bit worried about the clubhouse personalities of guys like Kawamoto and Ota - they seem a bit brash. Maybe it's the passions of youth, but I have to keep an eye on that.
Speaking of youth, Shinji Nakamura has impressed in the short time he's been with the big club. I think the starting job's his with Miyake gone.

Our pitchers had a rough go this month, with guys like Kanakubo and Bergeron taking it a bit on the chin. Still, if I can just get ALL these pieces working together, we'll crush it like we did at the start of the season.

ARROWS WIN THE PENNANT!

It came down to the wire, but this team's leadership core got it done. With the Okinawa Kirin Spirit an out away from a comeback win, Arrows outfielder Kenjyu Kuwahara rapped a double off the center field wall, and third baseman Takahiko Arakawa planted a ball in the opposite field bleachers, clinching the Pacific League pennant for the second time in three years during a 15-6 September. They await the winner of the PL Climax Series First Stage between the Orix Buffaloes and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Other plaudits:
* 1B Hirotaka Hayashi came 0.010 away from the PL batting title, the first time a Shizuoka player has made a case for it
* LF Kota Inoue made it to 101 RBI, 5th in all *** before being benched to rest for the playoffs
* DH Kikuo Kawamoto finished tied for 3rd in doubles with 33; Hayashi finished two behind him tied for 6th
* Hayashi led all players with 59 stolen bases; teammate 2B Meiji Onishi had 44
* RHP Ethan Smith led all players with a 2.39 ERA over 154 1/3 IP; the next closeset was 0.20 behind
* Smith's 14 wins were good for second, behing Masonori Koizumi of the Buffaloes
* RHP Danny Bergeron's 40 saves were good for a tie for 2nd - Kota Futaki of Orix had one more
* RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 173 IP were sixth-most in all ***
* LHP Tetsuya Yoshimoto's 11.2 K/9 was 3rd best in ***
* Retiring RHP Alan Busenitz finished 5th in *** with 19 holds

Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage
The Shizuoka Arrows start with a one-game advantage as pennant winners.

Game 1: Fukuoka SoftBank 3, Shizuoka 1
Arrows starter Ethan Smith left the game in the sixth inning, diagnosed with a hamstring strain that will shut him down for the rest of the postseason. Hawks starter Kazuo Okada racked up 13 strikeouts while only allowing one run on three hits, as SoftBank stymied the offense effectively. SoftBank 2B Koichi Maeda and LF Seiya Hosokawa both hit home runs in the affair.

Game 2: Shizuoka 4, Fukuoka SoftBank 2
Shizuoka 1B Hirotaka Hayashi is not known for home runs, but he slugged one in the bottom of the fifth as his second hit of the day; it stood as the game-winner. Arrows left fielder Kota Inoue also went yard in the game, as the Arrows compiled eight hits against the Hawks pitchers. Starter Alex Ramos did strike out 10 over 4 2/3 IP, but got tagged with the loss. Shizuoka starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto scattered five hits and a walk over 6 2/3 innings; Danny Bergeron threw two scoreless for the save.

Game 3: Shizuoka 6, Fukuoka SoftBank 1
Now it was the Arrows' turn to get some strikeouts from their pitchers. Left-handed starter Tetsuya Yoshimoto threw 6 innings and struck out 10, allowing only one run on a solo home run from Hawks DH Daiju Nomura. Again, Danny Bergeron with a 2-inning save. Shizuoka DH Kikuo Kawamoto was named star of the game for his pair of two-run home runs.

Game 4: Fukuoka SoftBank 7, Shizuoka 4
Welcome to the playoffs, Kikuo Aoki. The Shizuoka left-hander allowed 3 runs on four hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings of work to take the loss, and the bullpen had a rough game to cough up the rest. Hawks starter Yasunobu Okugawa got the win with 6 1/3 innings of 2-run ball. Arrows catcher Yasutoki Kato and left fielder Kota Inoue both homered late in the game to make it close, but to no avail.

Game 5: Shizuoka 9, Fukuoka SoftBank 3
This one was over before the half-way mark, as the Arrows scored seven runs in the first three innings against SoftBank starter Sho Ito and reliever Kotaro Otake. Shizuoka 2B Meiji Onishi and CF Shizue Uchino did most of the damage with 2-run and 3-run homers, respectively. DH Kikuo Kawamoto launched his own in the 7th for good measure. Hawks DH Daiju Nomura hit two home runs in the losing effort. Shizuoka starter Daichi Ishii took care of business with 6 innings of 2-run ball for the win.

Arrows center fielder Shizue Uchino's 2 home runs, 6 RBI, .286/.348/.619 slash line, and 3 stolen bases earned him series MVP honours.

The Shizuoka Arrows will get their rematch against the Yomiuri Giants in the Japan Series next.

2029 Japan Series
Since this is an odd year, the Central League will have home field advantage.

Game 1: Shizuoka 3, Yomiuri 2
Yomiuri center fielder Hiroomi Takemiya hit a 2-run 2-out double in the first to get the Giants ahead early, but that was it. Takemiya also had an error that added a crucial run against starter Roki Sasaki's 7 innings of work, and in spite of Sasaki's 11 strikeouts, he would take the loss on Shizuoka 2B Meiji Onishi's RBI sac fly in the top of the 7th. Arrows right fielder Shizue Uchino continued his hot postseason with a double and RBI triple in this game. Yoshinobu Yamamoto held down the fort for 6 innings, with Alan Busenitz and Danny Bergeron combining three scoreless relief innings (Bergeron with 6 K's in his 2 IP of work).

Game 2: Shizuoka 5, Yomiuri 3
Postseason heroes come in all forms, and injury replacements are a common one. With Ethan Smith shelved, the Arrows had to turn to an old friend, RHP Takahide Ikeda for this one, and he threw 5 scoreless innings in his first *** start this season (3 hits, 4 walks, 7 K's). Shizuoka rapped 11 hits against Yomiuri starter Johnnie Schneider, with shortstop Shinji Nakamura's 2-run double in the top of the fourth the most important one. Equally valuable was left fielder Kota Inoue's 2-out RBI triple in the top of the 9th to add insurance; Inoue himself would score too. That cushion was needed, as closer Danny Bergeron yielded 4 hits and 2 walks for 3 earned runs, and Yoshimitsu Ota had to come in for the final two outs to end the game.

Game 3: Shizuoka 4, Yomiuri 0
This is officially Tetsuya Yoshimoto's coming-out party. The Shizuoka left-hander threw 7 shutout innings, allowing only 5 hits and no walks, striking out 9 Giants in the win. Shizuoka second baseman Meiji Onishi slugged a two-run home run in the 7th against the tired Yomiuri starter, Kenshin Hotta, and add insurance when none was needed. Compared to prior games, the Arrows only had one strikeout in their lineup this game.

Game 4...
A few years after moving into Kusanagi Stadium, the Shizuoka Arrows added a unique feature to add some extra cacophony when they hit a home run or secured a win - a bell. The bell will be coming with them to their new stadium once it's completed this offseason...if they can repair the crack in it from being rung non-stop after today's game.

Shizuoka 6, Yomiuri 0

Arrows left-hander Kikuo Aoki rebounded from his previous start to throw 7 1/3 innings of one-hit ball, striking out six. The Shizuoka line-up banged out 10 hits against three ex-Arrow pitchers who play for the Giants - starter Jumpei Takahashi, and relievers Hikaru Nakao and Ryusei Oe. DH Kikuo Kawamoto had three of those hits, and three RBIs to go with them - his solo home run in the 3rd off Takahashi was the first time the bell rang that night. Shizuoka reliever Katsumi Ikeda's immaculate ninth inning was the second, and it didn't stop until Arrows manager Andre Ethier was given eight tosses in the air by his team.

Kikuo Kawamoto's 7 hits in 9 at-bats, one a home run, earned him Japan Series MVP honours.

For the first time in franchise history, the Shizuoka Arrows are Japan Series Champions.
And that's how you close a stadium!!

2029 Season Review

No practice tomorrow. :D

2029-30 Offseason Summary

2029 Awards Season
* Arrows pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and catcher Yasutoki Kato have won their respective Mitsui Golden Glove awards
* Three Arrows finished with Rookie of the Year Votes, including DH Kikuo Kawamoto (who had the most first-place votes but finished 2nd behind Lions catcher Shinichiro Hattori), 1B Hirotaka Hayashi (3rd), RHP Hironori Watanabe (4th), Kikuo Aoki (T-5th)
* Andre Ethier won Manager of the Year
* RHP Ethan Smith finished 4th in Eiji Sawamura Award voting
* Arrows with MVP votes - Smith, CF/RF Shizue Uchino, 2B Meiji Onishi

Personnel
* Arrows pitching coach Luis Miguel Navas and hitting coach Jack Wilson have left the organization; Jorge Moncada and Scott Beerer respectively have been hired.
* Arrows scouting director Chris Murphy has retired; Tony Abreu has been hired (after the draft, dangit) to replace him
* AA manager Steve Gibralter and pitching coach Randy Keisler have left the organization; Tu-Hsuan Lee has been hired as AA manager
* AAA pitching coach Brian Mallette has been moved to AA; ex-Swallow Ryo Akiyoshi has been hired to replace him with the Grandserows

Arbitration
* The following players have been declined arbitration: RHP Takahide Ikeda, C Takateru Toyoda, 1B Ichizo Nishio, 3B Yuki Nomura, SS Kohsuke Sakata
* The following players will be leaving through free agency: LF Kota Inoue, RHP Taiki Ono, RF Seiya Suzuki, RHP Kohei Morihara
* The Shizuoka Arrows have sent RHP Yuto Kanakubo and 3B Jo Endo to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles for 3B Yohsuke Matsumoto.
* The Shizuoka Arrows have sent LH Shuji Shibata and RF Soichi Shiotani to the Ehime Honda Comets for LF Seisaku Ishikawa, who agreed to a 1-year deal at 1.62M.
* The Arrows have gone to arbitration with RHP Konyo Nakayama, and the hearing sided in the teams' favour.

First-Year Draft
(sidebar: you ever tried to draft without a scouting director? basically a lost cause!)
1. CF Shigejiro Matsunaga, because we're short on CFs, and his defense could turn into a strength.
2. RHP Yuifumi Nishimura, best reliever in the draft by far, and could even turn into a starter with some luck
3. 2B Shigeru Nakashima, I like his makeup if the OSA is true. If not, who knows.
4. RHP Kameji Tsuboi, I skipped him last round because I'm not sure if he'll sign. High school arm with two decent pitches, he'll likely be a reliever if he can harness his control
5. C Tokita Yamano, the usual high-ability catcher
6. SS Katsuyuki Kosaka, noodle bat but a rocket arm at short. Could probably play 3B too.
7. 2B Takenori Koga, probably better suited to 3B or 1B. He's got pop.
8. RHP Yasuo Sawada, who's already got three plus pitches. If his control develops, he could be a decent chip.
9. 1B Kameji Matsushta, best power potential left in the draft
10. LF Hideshi Tamai, his combination of contact and base-stealing could be potent

(update: now that I have a scout, most of the above picks were trash. Letting Tsuboi walk too)

Winter Meetings and After
Budget's still tight, so I'm likely passing on adding through free agency unless the price is extremely right. Not seeing any upgrades for LF or CF that would make sense just yet. For once...gonna just enjoy Okinawa's weather.
* The Shizuoka Arrows have acquired 27-year-old CF Eric Santana from the York Revolution of the Atlantic League.
* In a surprise splash just before spring training, the Shizuoka Arrows announced the signing of 35-year-old right-hander Jon Duplantier to a one-year contract. Duplantier brings 196 games of major league experience across the Diamondbacks, Reds, Brewers, and Red Sox organizations, the last of which he won the World Series with in 2028.

Building a Champion - How the 2029 Arrows Came Together

Draft Picks
* LHP Kikuo Aoki, 1st round, 5th overall in 2025
* 3B Takahiko Arakawa, 1st round, 9th overall in 2024
* 1B Hirotaka Hayashi, 2nd round in 2024
* LHP Isamu Hiratsuka, 3rd round in 2025
* RF Kuemon Kamimura, 10th round in 2024
* DH Kikuo Kawamoto, 1st round, 9th overall in 2026
* 2B Taisei Murakami, 2nd round in 2025
* SS Shinji Nakamura, 7th round in 2023
* LHP Yoshimitsu Ota, 1st round, 18th overall in 2027
* RF Shizue Uchino, 1st round, 2nd overall in 2021 (and likely to get his #7 retired if he stays an Arrow lifer)
* RHP Hironori Watanabe, 2nd round in 2027
* LHP Tetsuya Yoshimoto, 1st round, 3rd overall in 2023

Free Agents
* RHP Danny Bergeron, 2027-28 offseason
* RHP Daichi Ishii, 2021-22 offseason (yes, he's been with the Arrows almost since Day 1!)
* RHP Yuto Kanakubo, 2027-28 offseason
* C Yasutoki Kato, 2028-29 offseason
* CF Yuki Okabayashi, 2028-29 offseason
* RF Soichi Shiotani, 2026-27 offseason

Trade
* RHP Alan Busenitz, from Niigata Komatsu for Andrew Baker
* 3B Jo Endo, from Hanshin with Fumiya Hojoh for Kosuke Ito, Fidel Mejia, and Katsuo Yasuda
* RHP Katsumi Ikeda, from Chiba Lotte for Masahiro Inui
* LF Kota Inoue, from Hanshin with Taiki Ono for Michito Nakayama, Toyoharu Miyake, and Kensaku Fujimoto
* RF Kenjyu Kuwahara, from Tohoku Rakuten with Yugo Umeno for LHP Kakeru Narita
* RHP Mitsukuni Matsuda, from Fukuoka SoftBank for LHP Yudai Mori and RHP Yuta Nakamura
* RHP Kohei Morihara, from Tohoku Rakuten for RHP Jordan Garza
* 2B Meiji Onishi, from Ehime Honda for 3B Hiroshi Morita and LF Seisaku Ishikawa
* RHP Taiki Ono (see Inoue)
* SS Kohsuke Sakata, from Chiba Lotte for Michiyo Tokuda
* LF Shuji Shibata, from Yomiuri for Noiro Yoshioka
* RF Seiya Suzuki, from Hiroshima for Seiya Yamazaki, Yuki Watanabe, and Yuma Tamura
* C Takateru Toyoda, from Fukuoka SoftBank for Deiner Lopez
* RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, from Orix for Xavier Valentin and Naoto Nishiguchi

Acquisition
* RHP Takahide Ikeda, Shinano Grandserows (BCL)
* RHP Ethan Smith, Road Warriors (ATL)